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The conch represents unity, civilization, and a sense of organization

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Piggy discovers the conch and uses it to draw the rest of the kids to him and ralph
- the conch serves as a uniting object
- also builds friendship between ralph and piggy (part where they make farting noises)

"Now the shell was no longer a thing seen but not to be touched, ralph became too excited... We can use this to call the others. Have a meeting. They'll come when they hear us--"(pg 16)

"I bet you can hear that for miles... A child had appeared among the palms, about a hundred yards along the beach. He was a boy of perhaps six years.." (pg 17)

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The chapter begins with everyone gathering at the meeting when they hear the conch being blown
- The conch is now also a voice of authority
- The conch demands respect
The use of the conch also indicates that change or an important moment is about to take place, since the conch organizes meetings
"'I got the conch', Piggy said indignantly. 'You let me speak!" (page 42

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Towards the end of the chapter, Ralph grabs the conch to announce that a meeting will be called to resolve the boys' collective issues. The conch here is used as a symbol of democracy and order. The power and gravity of the conch gives the boys immense respect for it. Therefore, once Ralph uses it to announce the meeting, the boys follow. While this may at first not seem so significant, this moment showcasing the conch's symbolism is impactful because it contrasts later in the book. In chapter 5 and 6, the boys start to lose respect for the conch, while here the conch has so much meaning attributed to it by the boys.

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Ralph attempts to reintroduce the conch shell as a symbol of power into the group meeting. However, this power is ignored and the kids begin to ignore the rules set by Ralph. This also reveals the growth in characters, in terms of the levels of respect (or disrespect) the kids have for eachother.

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"'Piggy's got the conch.' "That's right - favor Piggy as you always do-' 'The rules!' shouted Ralph. 'You're breaking the rules!' ''Who cares?' (91).

This quote is a further example of the conch's symbol of respect, order, and civilization fading away. The boys, especially Jack, no longer value its deemed power. As they live longer on this isolated island, their sense of society and its rules lose value for the boys.

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The conch has become such a powerful symbol that Ralph notices himself not needing to blow the conch but just hold it in sight. This can symbolize law and order between the others

¨Ralph took the conch from where it lay on the polished seat and held it to his lips; but then he hesitated and did not blow. He held the shell up instead and showed it to them and they understood¨ (Page 99)

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Jack starts showing annoyance and decided to interrupt piggy to establish he thinks using and respecting the conch is absurd.  By doing this jack is disrespecting the rules and Ralph's leadership, this also shows the conch losing its power of civilization and unity in the community

“Conch! Conch!” shouted Jack. “We don’t need the conch anymore. We know who ought to say things. What good did Simon do speaking, or Bill, or Walter? It’s time some people knew they’ve got to keep quiet and leave deciding things to the rest of us.” (pages 101-102)

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Jack called to order a meeting instead of Ralph, challenging his leadership position Since the boys reject the offer Jack decides to leave the group and go off on his own. Jack putting down the conch shows a sense of rejection of the rules and the civilization they have become.

"He laid the conch with great care in the grass at his feet. The humiliating tears were running from the corner of each eye. 'I’m not going to play any longer. Not with you"

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"'You haven't it with you,' said Jack, sneering. 'You left it behind. See, clever? And the conch doesn't count at this end of the island'" (150).
"'The conch counts here too,' said Ralh, 'and all over the island'" (151).

In these quotes, Jack and Ralph are arguing over the importance of the conch. Seeing as how the balance of power has shifted, Jack has the authority. We see the conch lose its power, as the symbol of order is gone. The civilization of the island is ruined, as the hunters and their "tribe" take over. The conch no longer has meaning to anyone except for Ralph and Piggy.

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The descent into savagery has caused the conch shell to have little to no meaning. Piggy tries to persuade Ralph to call a meeting, but Ralph laughs, believing that the conch shell no longer has a meaning.
"What we going to do?' Piggy nodded at the conch. 'you could-' 'Call an assembly?' Ralph laughed sharply as he said the word and Piggy frowned." (pg.156)

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"I thought they wanted the conch" ... "They didn't come for the conch. They came for something else".
The fact that Jack's group has no interest in taking the conch shows how the conch has lost power and meaning.
When the conch was important, organization  and order was present amongst the boys, whereas now, as the conch has no significance, there is lack of organization.

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Ralph and Piggy call a meeting with the other tribe using the conch. This is the last triumphant moment of the conch; a farewell in a sense. After this, the two boys and Sam and Eric go to meet with Jack's tribe. They try to use reason, but are dismissed. The meaning of the conch is useless to them, and Piggy dies in the aftermath. Piggy's death is the symbolic end of the conch. With Piggy being the main supporter and knew the importance of the conch, his death is the end of its reign. No longer will the savages honor its power, and ever since the chapter 8 debacle, its power was raining. Now the conch is truly gone symbolically and holds no power for the tribe.